Polar Bear Walk to School

Kyla Marshall

Nine year old Sean Hutton is a young and dedicated Community Panda member who has mobilized his neighbours, schoolmates, friends, family and community to take action for the Arctic and the polar bears who make their home on its ever shrinking expanse of ice. Sean has organized an Annual Polar Bear Walk to School Day which is now in its third year!

Sean says: “Two years ago I started a walk to school campaign to help the Polar Bears and other species affected by climate change. I know that polar bears hunt seals on the ice and that they need our help because the ice is melting. I want kids to walk to school with me on February 27th (International Polar Bear day) to take steps to keep the ice from melting! Last year many schools in Guelph walked with me…this year I want more schools to walk too!! We can save the Polar Bears! Little steps every day can make big changes!” – Sean Hutton, 2015
The event encourages students to keep unnecessary cars off the roads by walking to school, ultimately reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change and impact polar bears in the Great North.
Polar Bear Facts!

  • There are between 20,000 – 25,000 polar bears in the world
  • The Latin for polar bear, Ursus maritimus, means ‘sea bear’
  • The polar bear’s habitat is sea ice. They use the ice to hunt, move around, and it is also where they mate and raise their young
  • The polar bear’s primary food source is ringed seals

Since the first annual walk in 2013, the Polar Bear Walk to School Day has grown every year, with over 500 students from multiple schools, the mayor of Guelph and WWF’s own Panda participating in the 2014 Polar Bear Walk! And this year is slated to be the best year yet, with even more schools already signed up and more students than ever excited to pull on their boots and start trekking to their classes for polar bears.

kids
Polar Bear Walk To School Day 2014 © Kendal Gerard

If you want to organize your own Polar Bear Walk to School day to cut down on the GHG emissions harmful to polar bears and the Arctic, Kyla can help you plan your walk, just ask her!
If you can’t plan your own walk, you can support Sean Hutton’s Polar Bear Walk here .